


File 0172007

by keinekatze132



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: POV Outsider, no knowledge about the magnus archives required
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24405361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keinekatze132/pseuds/keinekatze132
Summary: Doctor Who / The Magnus Archives crossover: A student of the 12th Doctor gives a statement.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 46





	File 0172007

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this done in another fandom and thought it was an amazing idea so I wanted to write one myself! (I only just finished season 1 of tma so I hope it’s not inaccurate)

Statement of Christina Brown, regarding an elderly professor teaching at St. Luke’s university. Original statement given July the 20th, 2017. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.

Statement begins.

My name is Christina Brown and I am a chemistry student at St Luke’s. Chemistry has always been an interest of mine since my favorite aunt gave me a chemistry set for my 8th birthday. What I love most about university is how everyone seems to share this passion. I think this is why the Doctor fascinated me that much. I didn’t actually have to visit his lectures. He teaches physics and it took some persuasion from my friends for me to give it a chance. But his way of teaching is great. He makes a good show and his exams are always very fair. Therefore, usually students from all faculties take his classes. You had to come early or else you would have to sit on the floor or your best friends lap or something. I think there even is a bit of a cult surrounding him.

His reputation alone could fill a lecture hall. Students love mysteries. For example, I was told only to use full names for my statement but I simply can’t. I don’t think anyone knows his real name. Everyone simply calls him “the Doctor”. Even his weird bald assistant does. I think the Doctor calls him “Nardole” or something. Not sure if that’s a name or a nickname. Also there are rumors that the Doctor had been teaching at St. Luke’s for longer than a human’s lifespan should last. But I always took that with a grain of salt. I used to think he was simply an eccentric old man with a love for teaching. But now I know there has to be much more behind it.

Let me start from the beginning. I have been visiting the Doctor’s lectures for a few semesters and I really admire this man. This is why I thought that I should try to get him to overlook my thesis. I didn’t think he would mind doing molecular chemistry since he would often include topics from other subjects into his lectures. He once said, that to understand the universe you had to understand all these things, because they were basically the same. His words. I’m not sure if he is aware that most of us students listen to more than just his lecture. But to be fair, so are most professors. I also saw him walking around with some other student quite often. I recognized her because she has a job in the canteen. I assumed that meant he took in students’ theses. 

It turned out to be pretty hard to catch him outside of his lectures, even though it was hard to miss him as he tends to dress a bit like a magician. Not a clown or something. You know, the old ones. From black and white movies. Anyway, he would usually leave the lecture hall through the back entrance and the way these old buildings are constructed, he could have been anywhere by the time I finally managed to leave the room with the masses of other students. I hoped to just run into him on the corridors sometime, but I had no luck. I only once saw him running across the lawn outside of his office’s building but I didn’t feel like it was the time to stop him back then.

I finally accepted that I would have to drop by his office. You have to understand that no student visits a Professor’s office if it isn’t absolutely necessary. I don’t know why. I think we just don’t want to bother them during their actual research. Anyway, this is when things started to get strange, even for this man’s standards. I got out of the lab early a few days later and decided to try my luck since I couldn’t make it at a reasonable hour that often. I saw lights in his office’s window when I reached the right building and mentally rehearsed what I was going to say. His office was located in one of the older buildings. I think it was considered an honor to be in an historic place, but it basically just meant that there was no air conditioning and the elevator was out of order. I didn’t mind taking the stairs though, as I enjoy a little exercise after a day sitting in the laboratory.

When I reached the right floor I noticed, that the sign on his door simply said “The Doctor”. I had worried about not finding the right door, so this was a relief. I knocked but there was no answer. I thought nothing of it and patiently waited before eventually knocking again. Still there was no answer. Finally I noticed that there was no light coming from underneath the door. This was somewhat strange as I should have run into him on the stairs if he had left the building. At the time I thought that he probably either went to the restroom or a colleague’s office. Still I didn’t know whether he would return so I didn’t feel like waiting in front of his office. So far this doesn’t sound very paranormal, I know, but this man kept disappearing from closed rooms. 

I think I started to realize something weird was going on the next time it happened. It was around noon and I had just grabbed something to eat from the canteen. It was a nice day so I was looking for a place to sit outside. That was when I saw the Doctor and his Assistant on the other side of the piazza. They were also carrying food and looked like they were discussing something. The doctor was gesturing with his arms the way he usually does when he really gets into a topic. It didn’t look like a fight though, so I tried to catch up. I didn’t want to run as I felt like it would make me look a little obsessive so I did something of a powerwalk. They took a turn a few meters on and once I made it around the corner I saw them disappear into a basement with a sign that said “no unauthorized trespassing”. I assumed it was some kind of laboratory. Physicists love their basements. I think it has something to do with radiation safety. 

I was getting kind of desperate at that point since I had to find a professor for my thesis soon and I wasn’t yet ready to give up on my idea with the doctor. So I sat down on the nearest bench and had my lunch while waiting for him to come out again. I was hoping he was just checking up on some data during his lunch break so I could catch him before my afternoon lecture. A few minutes in I heard some screeching, like engines whining. But it stopped soon enough. I think I sat there for a little less than an hour before I saw him and that student I told you about earlier on a footpath leading away from his office building. I was startled. You need to understand that the basements on campus aren’t connected. Even if there had been a second entrance he shouldn’t have been able to get to his office without me seeing him. It simply didn’t make any sense. Obviously my mind didn’t jump to something supernatural right away. I still kept thinking about how he could have done it and I still don’t have any solution. 

The next day I left his lecture early to catch him at the staff’s door. I finally wanted to get this over with. At this point I had pretty much accepted he would say no anyway, busy as he seemed. I guess I ended up being there a little bit too early, so I sat down on some nearby stairs waiting for the lecture to end. 

The Doctor and Nardole left the room about ten minutes after the Lecture officially ended. This was not unusual as he sometimes stays a little longer to answer questions. This time the two of them were actually arguing. So much, I don't think they noticed me. The assistant was angrily pointing at an old fashioned police box standing in the middle of the room. It was a little strange as it looked highly out of place as soon as my attention was drawn to it, but I hadn't really noticed it before. 

Still arguing, the two of them went into the box, which really looked incredibly small for two people. I must admit I was taken aback a little. Anyway I guess there could have been a completely normal explanation, or so I assumed at the time. I was about to leave, not really knowing what else to do, when the Box-thing made a horrible screeching noise. I didn't make the connection at the time, but it was the same noise I heard from the basement while I was waiting for the Doctor a few days earlier.

I starred at the police box and the whole thing just faded away, including the two people inside it. I promise, there is no better explanation than that. I soon realized where I had heard that sound before and started to hurry towards the basement. Maybe I should have better left it alone back then, but that thought didn't cross my mind at the time. I ran all the way across the campus and was very sweaty and out of breath when I finally got there. At that point I wasn't even surprised to hear the Doctor's voice behind the door as I walked down the stairs. It was unlocked. Listen, I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but I completely ignored the warning signs and walked in.

I can tell you one thing: That sure as hell was no laboratory. It looked like any basement that is used for storage with two expectations. A blue police box and a gigantic vault that I could only guess made up most of the space down there. The doctor and his assistant were standing in the middle of the room, where they had apparently been arguing before I had interrupted. Now they were both staring at me in surprise. 

Nardole stepped in front of the vault and took a defensive position. I tended to not take him serious before, but something in his eyes made him look way more dangerous than the goofy little man he appeared to be. The Doctor kept a neutral expression but his eyes were fixed on me. I took a step back and was about to apologize, suddenly noticing that I had just walked into an obviously restricted area without any good reason. 

Nardole spoke before I had the chance to say anything. “See Doctor, Humans won’t stop getting into our business” he said. The way he said “Humans” made me deeply uncomfortable. I know it sounds crazy. He said some more about “the Doctor endangering an operation” but I have no Idea what he was referring to. 

The Doctor was still staring at me when he responded. “I don’t think she will bring her friends” he said. He had an intense look in his eyes that didn’t make it look like I had a choice. I obviously said that I wouldn’t and fled the room mumbling an apology. And that’s it. I am able to tell when I am threatened. I didn’t return to that room and I don’t take physics lectures anymore. I got a professor from my own field to overlook my thesis and it’s going great. Still, I felt like somebody should know about what I found out about the doctor. When I heard some people from my class talk about you guys I knew I had to give a statement.

Statement ends.

On first glance nothing in this case strikes me as something that couldn’t be simply explained by the odd behavior of an old man who likes to play tricks on his students. Especially since there is no existing prove. Still the name “the Doctor” is nothing new to me. We did our research on this case and Martin talked to a friendly secretary, who gladly let us look into the so called “Doctor’s” employment documents. His real name is John Smith. I wish I could remember where I’ve heard that name before. He has been employed for about 70 years, which would explain the rumors about immortality, but that is not something I would list as supernatural. His references are unusual to say at least, but also paint a picture of a very eccentric man. We can only guess his real age, since the number on the document must have been messed up during digitalization, even though Martin seems keen to believe that this man is almost a thousand years old.

We were able to obtain plans of the buildings in question. If the plans are correct, Miss Brown was right that the doctor could not have left trough any secondary entrances. Still, the most likely explanation is, that Miss Brown simply missed the Doctor, as people tend to do. What had been stored in the basement during that time has not been recorded.

Notable is also that the Doctor disappeared from his teaching position a short time after this statement was given. There was no missing person report and the name John Smith is too common to bring anything up. Sadly St. Luke’s couldn’t give us the Doctor’s current address. As for his assistant there could no records been found. It doesn’t seem like he has ever been employed as St. Luke’s. The secretary who gave us our information seemed to know who we were talking about anyway. He disappeared around the same time as the Doctor. 

It remains unclear if the Doctor is an actual person or a group of people using that name. For the second option, investigations in the connection of these people might be necessary. As I’m sure I’ve heard the name John Smith before, he might be a good starting point. I’ll have to speak with Eric about it.

Recording ends.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this was a lot of fun! I think I might do something similar for another fandom or another doctor soon. English is not my first language, so let me know about any mistakes.


End file.
